Hospitals and other medical or healthcare institutions use a variety of catheters, tubing and syringes to deliver medications and other substances to patients through vascular, enteral, respiratory, epidural and intrathecal delivery systems. These delivery systems frequently employ small-bore connectors such as Luer connectors to link various system components. The male and female components of Luer connectors join together to create secure but also detachable leak-proof connections. Multiple connections between medical devices and tubing are common in patient care.
Unfortunately, because Luer connectors are ubiquitous, easy-to-use and compatible between different delivery systems, clinicians can inadvertently connect wrong systems together, causing medication or other fluids to be delivered through the wrong route. Such errors have occurred in diverse clinical settings not only with Luer connectors but also with other small-bore connectors, causing serious patient injuries and deaths.
Significant efforts have been made by healthcare administrations and organizations world-wide to reduce misconnections through education, protocols and monitoring. However, there remains the severe problem that the use of small-bore connectors in incompatible medical delivery systems continues to create situations where dangerous misconnections can, and do, occur.
Thus, there is a strong need for the development of a mechanical solution by medical device manufacturer which prevents misconnections in incompatible medical delivery systems.